The New York Rangers are now past the halfway point of the 2024-25 season and it has been a season full of ups and downs. From starting the season 12-4-1, to then only winning five of the next 21 games, which led to the departures of the captain Jacob Trouba and 2019 second overall pick, Kaapo Kaako, the team has turned their play around since the calendar flipped to 2025.
They are currently riding an eight-game point streak and are four points out of a wild card spot as of this writing. While many players have struggled this season, there have still been a few bright spots and in this piece, we are going to look at the top five players on the team so far this season.
#5: Filip Chytil
Coming into this season, it was unknown what to expect from Filip Chytil. He was coming off a year in which he only played 10 regular season games due to a concussion and when he returned from the playoffs, he was not an impact player. He has played very well so far this season and has been the Rangers’ third-line center for the majority of the season. He has 10 goals and 18 points in 37 games and he brings some much-needed depth scoring that was missing last season and in the playoffs. His speed and shot are his best assets and he is one of the only players on the team that has a shoot-first mentality.
The only concern with him this season has been the missed time due to injuries. He missed several games on two different occasions and while he told reporters the injuries were not concussion-related, we still don’t know what happened and might never know as they were only classified as “upper-body” injuries. Overall, Chytil is having a productive season and he is going to need to continue that play in the second half as the team pushes for the playoffs.
#4: Adam Fox
On a team in which the defense has been the biggest cause for concern, Adam Fox has continued to be the outstanding player he has been throughout his career so far. He is by far and away the team’s best defenseman in every game and he is still providing good offensive numbers while still playing great defense in his own end. He has two goals and 36 points in 46 games and while he won’t be able to get back to the numbers he had last season (17 goals, 73 points in 72 games), his lower point totals can be attributed to the team’s overall poor play around him.
While Fox won’t be in the conversation for the Norris Trophy, he is still having a good season on a team that struggled for the past two months and when they did struggle, he was able to maintain his good play. Now with the team playing better over the last three weeks, his play is starting to improve. The Rangers are going to need him to play even better down the stretch because if they have any chance of making the playoffs, they need the defense to improve and Fox will be the player that leads the way.
#3: Will Cuylle
Last season was a good first year in the NHL for Will Cuylle. He was playing a third-line role and was tasked to be a physical presence, while also being able to contribute offense from time to time. Now, he has taken his offensive game to a new level and for the first two months of the season, he was arguably the best overall player on the team. He broke a 15-game goalless drought in the Rangers’ last game and now has 12 goals and 25 points in 46 games played. So while his offense took a big hit in recent games, he was still playing with heart and a physical presence, so he was still being an impact player.
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Cuylle has been getting second-line minutes in recent games playing alongside Mika Zibanejad and Reilly Smith. He has the potential to reach 20 goals this season and that would be a major step in the right direction for him and the team going forward. If he is able to up his offensive production, he could be looking at a long-term extension this offseason when he becomes a restricted free agent.
#2: Artemi Panarin
While not many expected Artemi Panarin to replicate what he did last season in which he scored 49 goals and 120 points, he is still the Rangers’ best offensive player this season. While he won’t be reaching those kinds of numbers this season, he is still putting up good offensive numbers with 19 goals and 48 points in 44 games played. He is still playing on a line with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere and while they do have games in which they dominate, most of the time this season they have struggled, particularly Trocheck and Lafreniere. While Panarin has also gone on his cold streaks, more times than not you can expect him to provide some form of offense in each game.
It is going to be interesting to see how Panarin plays the rest of the season because entering this offseason, he is eligible for a contract extension. But the question is, do the Rangers see him as part of the future or will they want to explore other options that might become available? If they do want to keep him, what will his price be? It is going to have to be a major cut from the $11.6 million he’s making now and next season. He will be one of the most interesting players to watch on the team as the season goes along.
#1: Igor Shesterkin
This should come as no surprise as the Rangers’ backbone in goal, Igor Shesterkin, has been their best player once again this season. Despite his numbers dropping during the team’s bad stretch from the end of November and into December, he has been amazing since coming back from injury. During his last five starts, he is 4-0-1 with one shutout and save percentages above .900 in four of the five games. Overall this season, he has a 15-15-2 record with a .910 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.87 goals-against average. He has kept the Rangers in so many games this season and he is one of the reasons why their play has turned around in recent weeks as when he is on top of his game, he is the best goalie in the league.
The Rangers obviously see him as a major part of their future as they signed him to the largest goalie contract in NHL history earlier this season that kicks in next season. They are going to need him to be a major player down the stretch if they want to get into the playoffs, and if he is able to play at this level for the rest of the season and the team can find their game, there is no reason as to why they shouldn’t be in a playoff spot when the season is over.
While it hasn’t been the greatest season for the Rangers overall, they are finally turning their game around and these five players have been the most consistent this season and the ones helping turn the season around. They have been one of the hottest teams in the league this month and if these players can keep up this kind of play, they are going to be true threats in the playoff race down the stretch.
